JEM leader still awaiting deportation from Sudan – lawyer calls on EU for humanitarian support

Lawyers and human rights defenders have appealed to various international bodies, particularly European Union states, to grant political or humanitarian asylum to Vice-President of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Ibrahim El Maaz Deng who is now in the custody of the foreign police in Khartoum since his release last week after from seven years Kober prison.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga broadcast today, Den’s lawyer Abdelaziz Osha said: “The submission of this request, especially to the European Union countries, came because of the insistence of Khartoum authorities to deport him outside Sudan without specifying where to, in violation of the constitution and the law”.

He said “We ask these European countries to grant him political or humanitarian asylum, as he is suffering from several diseases and needs support and human help to address his condition.” Osha pointed out that his client spent seven years in chains on Kober prison’s death row, and needs health care and treatment.

The lawyer stressed that Deng is a typical case in need of humanitarian support from those who have the ability to grant him this right.

Oshar said he had contact and negotiations with the UNHCR in Khartoum on the status of the arbitrary removal of Deng from his country. He told Radio Dabanga that Deng, who is now in custody after his release from Kober prison, has no affiliation with any country.

He added that when he was deprived of his right to Sudanese citizenship so is now technically a ‘refugee in custody’.